Parental Guidance (Ice Knights #1)(11)

That probably wasn’t wrong, which was why he needed to get away from mashed potato talk before he ratted himself out. So he steered the conversation to the basic first-date topics of work (work was pretty much the only thing both of them did for fun) and living in Harbor City (tourists were the worst). By the time the waiter came by to clear their plates, he had convinced himself that this whole Bramble date plan wasn’t going to blow up in his face. One date almost down, four more to go, and then it was back to life as usual. Thank God.

“Do you have any chocolate cake?” she asked the waiter, who nodded. Then she turned to Caleb and winked at him. “One slice of the double fudge chocolate cake with two forks, please—just in case.”

The waiter didn’t bother to hide his grin as he walked away.

“You’re bossy.”

She ran a fingertip over her tiny tattoo and gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I’m right.”

Uh-huh. He wasn’t about to lose this face-off.

“Okay, Miss Right, how about we figure out what we’re going to say during these post-date interviews.” He paused for effect. “I’m thinking I’m madly in love with you at first sight.”

Her jaw nearly hit the table and rattled their glasses. Oh yeah, years on the ice had taught Caleb exactly how to deliver a check. Timing was everything.

He couldn’t wait to see her interview about him… There was no telling what this snarky pixie would put out there.





Chapter Four


The next day, Caleb picked up his already quick pace as soon as he spotted Zara’s distinctive bright-red, almost orange hair outside of Harris Tower. It wasn’t like he meant to, but it just sort of happened. If his mom noticed, she didn’t say anything, just increased her speed as people swerved out of their way. They were half a block away from the front door of Harris Tower, which housed the TV studio, when Zara noticed them. He knew the exact moment because one minute she was chatting with an older guy who looked too much like her to be anyone other than her dad, then the guy jerked his chin Caleb’s way, and a blush turned her cheeks pink.

“Is that her?” his mom asked.

“Yep.”

He didn’t have to look over at his mom to know she was giving him that tell-me-everything look. Pry? Britany Stuckey? Since the day he was born. So it wasn’t that he couldn’t look away from Zara so much that he didn’t want to have that discussion with his mom—the one where she poked and prodded and coached him through life like he was one of her players.

“She’s so tiny,” his mom said. “She sounded fiercer in her profile.”

“Don’t get fooled by appearances.” If his mom had seen Zara give him the stink eye and tell him to come on so they could just get their date over with, she would have known that already.

Britany let out a knowing chuckle. “You like her.”

“She’s a little salty, but yeah, she’s all right.” She’d agreed to this wild plan, so that was points in her favor.

Another few steps and they were in front of Zara and the man he assumed was her dad. What in the hell did he do now? Did they hug? Did they fist bump? Did they shake hands? Fuck. Welcome to Awkwardville, population Caleb Stuckey.

“Hey, Zara,” he said, because it wasn’t like his mouth ever waited for his brain to come up with a decent plan.

For once it worked out, though, as he introduced her to his mom and she introduced him to her dad, who did actually give him a fist bump. Then their parents started talking, leaving him and Zara to fill the space between them. But neither spoke. For once, his mouth stayed shut—probably because his eyes were so full of looking at her.

“How’s the ankle?” he eventually asked, looking down at her feet and shaking his head because again, she was wearing super-tall fuck-me heels.

“Better,” she said. “Thanks.”

“That’s a relief.” His phone vibrated in his jeans pocket as the alarm for the interview went off. “You ready to go make the people of Harbor City think that the totally-not-gonna-happen just might?”

…

Zara wasn’t ready outside, or during the elevator ride up to the studio standing way too close to Caleb for comfort, or when she walked out into the TV studio. Why in the hell had she ever thought this was a good idea?

The Harbor City Wake Up studio looked more impressive on TV. Not that Zara had known what to expect, but when she watched at home, it looked downright expansive with its fake living room on one end where the guests had their little chats with the host, a kitchenette in the middle for demonstrations, and a news desk on the other end where the headlines were announced. Shockingly, the whole set looked like it would fit in her studio apartment. She and her dad were sitting on one couch while Caleb and his mom were sitting on the one next to them. The single oversize chair across from them where Asha would sit was empty.

“It’s like the TARDIS on Opposite Day,” her dad said as he adjusted the tie he definitely was not used to wearing. “Bigger on the outside.”

She couldn’t disagree.

Turning, she lowered her voice and asked, “Now, you remember the plan?”

“You say that like I’m not always there for you.” He gave her a crooked grin. “You know I will always have my favorite girl’s back.”